March 11, 2011

Vegetable Potpourri in Coconut and Yogurt — Avial

One of my dear friends from work had requested this recipe. Hey Jovi, I hope you are reading this because this one’s especially for you sweetie!

Okay. I took my own sweet time with it, I know. It seems to be happening a lot lately. The connection to the Net is still nightmarish. If I were at work, my smart and efficient IT friends would have helped me resolve the issue in the blink of an eye; odd to think how much things can change within a year. Besides, I was feeling a bit heavy-hearted since my brother’s anniversary. You see, I lost my kid brother in a hit and run accident a few springs back and my family has been plagued by the tragedy ever since. The sense of loss is overwhelming, especially during anniversaries—a time when memory returns with such clarity that the experience of it could have been yesterday. Yipe! Enough. I have digressed from the original topic.
 
What is avail? It is a classic in Kerala cuisine—a mild vegetarian dish with a bit of various veggies, freshly grated coconut and yogurt dressed up with curry leaves and coconut oil. It wouldn’t be onasadhya (grand meal of the Onam festival) without this delicious mix of vegetables. It’s an excellent recipe to use up those leftovers vegetables in your fridge, not to mention a great way to include a variety of nutrient dense vegetables in your diet to count towards more than one portion of your 5-a-day. Again, I especially love the fact that the preparation couldn’t be any easier, but the result is special and still feeds healthily well.

Usual variations to the recipe can be seen in the use of souring agents like yogurt, tamarind, raw mango, tomatoes or a combination of preferred ingredients. I love the way my mom prepares it—she uses a bit of tomato as well as yogurt for a lovely tang. The vegetables I prefer to use for this dish are yam, raw banana, drumsticks, snake gourd, green beans, carrot and Indian cucumber. The recipe adapts to most vegetables, so feel free to use anything seasonal except the very mushy kinds. And oh, those who are hesitant to use coconut oil, go ahead and do it with olive oil.
 
Like most traditional Kerala dishes, avail has a its own share of stories too. Check here for details.

Vegetable Potpourri in Coconut and Yogurt — Avial

Ingredients

3 cups mixed veggies, cut into 2 inch by ½ inch pieces
(use veggies like carrot, drumsticks, green beans, cucumber, snake gourd, yam, raw banana)
1 ¼ cup water
½ small tomato, sliced
1 ¼ cup fresh coconut, grated
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3-4 small green chilies
3 small shallots
2 sprig curry leaves
4 - 4½ tablespoon yogurt, or to taste
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 ½ tablespoon coconut oil, or oil of your choice
salt, to taste
 
Directions

In a large saucepan, throw in all the mixed vegetables with tomato, turmeric, water and some salt. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the water has almost evaporated and the vegetables are just tender and firm to the bite.

Meanwhile, coarsely grind coconut, chilies, cumin and shallots in a blender.

When the vegetables are cooked, add the coconut mixture and toss gently. Simmer everything together, covered, for 2 more minutes. Finally, stir in the yogurt, and mix well. Taste and season if needed. Add a splash of water if the curry is too dry.

Heat oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add curry leaves and toss for a second. Remove from heat and tip into the vegetable mixture. Finally, for a truly authentic taste, drizzle more coconut oil over the curry before serving. Serve as a side with rice, along with a spicy fish curry for a great lunch.

In the meantime, happy weekend to all of you.

45 comments:

  1. the mention of the personal tragedy will linger more than the avial nashie...

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  2. The avial looks fabulous. You have styled it so well. Amazing :)

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  3. Wow...avial looks superb....I make it a bit watery....your pics are too good...

    FunWidFud

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  4. Avial looks lovely !!! Nice pics !!!

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  5. OMG,it looks gorgeous and very healthy...fabulous clicks...can u teach me how u clicks dear...

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  6. wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww... IVE NEVER EVER IN MY LIFE SEEN AVIAL PRESENTED SO BEAUTIFULLY!!!!!!! lovely lovely lovely....................

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  7. Iam so sorry to hear about the loss... must have gone through a tough time...well not easy how many ever years pass by....

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  8. Nice pics...and avial looks awesome.

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  9. This is wonderfully colorful and it sounds delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  10. Avial looks so fabulous...yummy..
    Awesome clicks...
    http://krithiskitchen.blogspot.com

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  11. Hi
    U have a lovely space. thanks for visiting and giving lovely comments.
    your dish looks wonderful. nice clicks too!

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  12. Awesome clicks !! n the dish looks superb !!

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  13. So colorful.. and awesome click too:)

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  14. beautifully done avial delicious drumsticks on it

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  15. loved your recipe of avial, the one I had uses yogurt in it. nice recipe collection you have and pics are so good.

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  16. Hi dear.. you've an award waiting for you in my blog. Do collect it!!

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  17. Yum yumm aviyal...I never used to make aviyal earlier as i never got my amma's taste whenever i prepare it, this looks too good da..

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  18. Yummy and delicious mix vegetable sabzi..great recipe..thanks for sharing and have a great weekend you too! Tk care.

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  19. delicious curry,,, with beautiful clicks....r those fresh drumsticks...i miss them alot..I am inviting myself over!
    Smitha
    Smitha's Spicy Flavors

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  20. The visual treat u hav made out ths just marvellous...wow..wow..wow....Beautifully cliked..R u a prof: fotographer?

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  21. An all time favie... Beautiful pics...

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  22. Love the name u have given to aviyal, stunning clicks and great looking dish..

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  23. Wow I have not seen our humble aviyal looking this good.The Aviyal that we make at home Thrissur style uses only yogurt.The the yogurt that we get here are not sour enough, so next time onwards I am going to use tomatoes like you have used.A happy weekend to you too!

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  24. I have avials many places ..done different ways but the way you have made n presented it completely takes the dish to a whole new level for me! Honestly I have never made avial before was on the look out for that recipe that would catch my fancy..and I think I might have just found it :)

    US Masala

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  25. Avial looks perfect and delicious

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  26. Adding tomatoes in avial sounds new and the avial looks very delicious and nice clicks too

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  27. never ever did i get tired of eating avial! lovely clicks!

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  28. the pics look awesome!

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  29. So sorry to read about your brother, dear.

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  30. Avial is one of my favourites. My mother-in-law(in Nagercoil) prepares it excellent and this time when I was in India, I had this many times and I yearn for even more :-) The way you have presented it is excellent. Your sense of lighting for the photos is awesome and impressive :-)

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  31. Hey Nash, clicks are great. Presentation is perfect. The bright red tomatoes, the colourful veggies,the grated coconut....all look awesome.
    There is an award for u in my blog come and grab it.

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  32. Your potpourri looks as lovely as ever. Top notch photography once again. Sorry to hear about your kid brother - somehow the pain never dies; however much you try; but it helps if you remember the good times you had and smile at them; linger on them quietly.

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  33. Avial Looks so nice and colourful ..loved ur clicks:)

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  34. Pls accept an award frm me.

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  35. wow...first time here....avial looks so yummyyy!!!!! your presentations are so good...happy to follow u !do visit my blog sometimes whenever you have time :-)

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  36. awesome snap.. feel like digging in...

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  37. Thanks one and all for your lovely messages!

    Thoma, Sojo, Sarah, Judy: Thank you for your kind thoughts and support.

    Divya and Neenu:I'm just an amateur stumbling with my newly found passion for food styling and food photography. All the same, your feedback is very encouraging, thanks!

    Saffronstreaks: Welcome to my space and hope you keep visiting :)

    Yes Smitha, those are fresh veggies. Hey why don't you consider a stopover in Qatar on your next visit home..?!!

    Hey Vidhya, you from Thrissur? I am from Thrissur!

    Aipi, do give it a go- I'd love to hear how you get on :)

    Reshmi, Zareena, Neenu: Thanks a bunch for your lovely and thoughtful gesture, I'll visit soon to receive them!

    Only Fish Recipe: Thanks so much for visiting and following :)

    Foodiecorner: Thanks you and hope to see you around.

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  38. That is such a beautiful picture...such a feast to my eyes, aviyal luks awesome, wish I lived somewhere close to ur place:)

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  39. wht else do you use coconut vinegar for? i bought one in goa, their cuisine uses it a lot, but didn use it even once. how long does it stay? mine's been close to two years now.

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  40. Hey!!! Thanks a lot Nashi!!!

    I am gonna try this soon and will let u know how it turned out!

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  41. Malar, you are so generous, thank you!

    Thoma, I like coconut vinegar best in karimeen pollichathu--it really tastes awesome--check out my recipe, it's one of my best fish recipes and I think you'll love it. I do use it in meen moilee too. I got my vinegar from Kerala and I keep it in the fridge just to make sure it stays fresh :)

    Jovi, my pleasure sweetie! Would love to hear how you liked it, thanks.

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  42. ususally when we make aviyal we used to grind Jeera along with coconut and gree chillies..Looks so yumm.

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  43. I love this dish and awesome click. You are making me drool at this time of the night :) yummmmmmmmm:)

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  44. GoodPediatrician: Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your lovely comments!

    Nithya, you are so sweet, much thanks!

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  45. Avial is such a nice and simple dish ..love it.

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A million thank you's for stopping by, taking the time to connect, and coming back to visit again. I genuinely appreciate each of your kind thoughts, lovely words, love and support. Happy, happy to hear from you, and hope to see you again!

♥ Nashi